Currently, mobile communication technologies tend to provide high-rate multimedia services increasingly. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a system architecture evolution (SAE) system according to the related art.
In FIG. 1, a user equipment (UE) 101 is a terminal device for receiving data. An evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) 102 is a radio access network which includes a base station, e.g. an eNodeB/NodeB for providing a radio network interface for the UE. A mobile management entity (MME) 103 is adapted to manage mobility contexts, session contexts and security information of the UE. A serving gateway (SGW) 104 is adapted to provide functions of a subscriber plane. The MME 103 and the SGW 104 may be in the same physical entity. A packet gateway (PGW) 105 is adapted to implement charging and legal monitoring functions. The PGW 105 and the SGW 104 may be in the same physical entity. A policy and charging rules function (PCRF) 106 is adapted to provide quality of service (QoS) policies and charging rules. A general packet radio service (GPRS) supporting node (SGSN) 108 is a network node device for providing routing for data transmission in a universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS). A home subscriber server (HSS) 109 is a home sub-system of the UE and is adapted to protect user information including the current location of the UE, the address of a serving node, user security information and packet data contexts of the UE.
In networks of the related art, it is not defined how to select WLAN nodes for offloading UE data under the control of the base station.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.